Turkish parliament gives go-ahead to science university

By Emin Avundukluoglu and Huseyin Gazi Kayki

ANKARA

Turkish parliament’s education committee adopted on Monday a proposal to establish a university in Istanbul, in collaboration with Japan.

Speaking to the committee members, Education Minister Ismet Yilmaz said that the Turkish-Japanese Science and Technology University will mainly cater to post-grad and doctorate students.

“However 30-40 percent students will be undergrads,” he said.

He added that only a selected group of research students will be able to enroll in the university, which will focus on the quality of its students, and not their quantity.

The university, to be set up in Istanbul’s Pendik district, will have engineering, basic sciences and social sciences faculties.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to set up the university in January 2014 in Tokyo when they met to discuss Turkey’s Sinop Nuclear Plant.

In June last year a formal agreement was inked in Istanbul.

According to the agreement between Turkey and Japan, the university will receive a treasury grant, and have vat and special consumption tax exemption for imports it makes.